Audience stars in Messiah Singalong

A beloved holiday tradition returns when the audience joins the Auburn Symphony and four soloists for a singalong concert of Handel's Messiah, Dec. 3."We invite you to start your holiday season with the Messiah Singalong," said Maestro Peter Jaffe. "This delightful tradition invites all to share in singing Handel's masterpiece with the orchestra. It's a time when the community comes together to raise the holiday spirit — and the audience members' vocal talents are the main attraction."Attendees are invited to bring their own scores or buy them at the door, and to sit in the vocal section of choice — soprano, alto, tenor, bass — or anywhere they'd like to simply listen.Four nationally recognized guest soloists will perform selections from Messiah with the orchestra — soprano Liisa Davila, mezzo-soprano Nikola Printz, baritone Eugene Brancoveanu and tenor Robert Vann. "The Messiah is perfectly suited for singalongs," Vann said. "This is my tenth Messiah as a soloist (second with the Auburn Symphony) and every time I am impressed by the number of people in the audience that seem to know every word in the score. When the audience is encouraged to participate in the music-making, the barrier between performer and listener is perforated, and those of us on the stage are treated to a very special listening experience of our own." To warmup the choir, aka, the audience, Jaffe will open the concert with a medley of classic carols."It's magical — and cool," Jaffe said, "that people — anyone of any age — can just show up and sing, can be a part of the choir as we all come together to start the holiday season with great enthusiasm and spirit." Regardless of experience, singing audience members are a vital part of the show. "We are all approaching The Messiah from different levels of experience. Some of us have sung it several times, while others may be experiencing it for the first time," Vann said. "If you sing one note all night, that is one note more than an empty chair will contribute. Let's all have a good time!"